Oftentimes, main stream media with neither confirm nor deny situations that may cause alarm. However, with the ongoing popularity of social media platforms, keeping stuff secret is becoming next to impossible. Costa Rica finally admits what social media users have been discussing for months concerning untimely deaths at vacation resorts; “ya’ll putting something in those drinks.”
Costa Rica has issued a national alert about tainted alcohol after 19 people were confirmed to have died over the past few weeks from methanol poisoning. The government says several alcohol brands have been tainted. The alcohol contained toxic levels of methanol, a synthetic chemical that is used in the production of anti-freeze and windshield wiper fluid. Even small amounts of methanol can be toxic when ingested by humans, and can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and in some cases death. The government has confiscated about 30,000 bottles of alcohol suspected to be poisoned, under the brands Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka and Molotov Aguardiente. The Ministry of Health warned against consuming alcohol from those brands. Vendors who sell the drinks could face criminal sanctions. The World Health Organization said methanol poisoning outbreaks are tied to counterfeit or informally-produced drinks.
Following a recent wave of U.S. tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic, some have speculated that counterfeit alcohol may have played a role. One Facebook user even posted a video in which she showed her beverage transforming into a thick gel like substance when mixed with water. In response to such concerns, the FBI is currently conducting a toxicology investigation into three of the tourist deaths, and the country’s Ministry of Tourism recently said that it would start conducting quarterly rather than semi-annual food and beverage inspections at hotels. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana, one of the hotel chains linked to the tourist deaths, told Rolling Stone that it would remove liquor dispensers from guests’ rooms and that it had contracted a third-party testing lab “to provide inspections and laboratory testing of all food and beverage products and public spaces.” Social media groups such as Black Travel Movement, Black World Travelers, She Travels the Globe and others have posted several warnings after the first few deaths occurred urging subscribers to not travel in fear but to be careful of liquids consumed.
According to an independent study, travel to Dominican Republic has dropped more than 74% with the onslaught of reported deaths. Trips booked to the island dropped by 74.3% for the months of July and August compared to the same period last year, according to a study from ForwardKeys. The number of trips canceled to the country also increased by 51.2% between June 1 and June 19. Though tourism to the Dominican Republic has plummeted, other island getaways such as Jamaica, the Bahamas and Aruba have all seen an increase in trips bookedeven though travel accommodations to DR are currently extremely low. Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations and crisis management expert, told Forbes Women, "Officials from the Dominican Republic have not addressed the issues and events in a constructive way. They have been very combative and defensive with their response," says Torossian. "These incidents have placed a dark cloud over the island. People are worried and have chosen to express their worries and concerns over social media, which spreads like wildfire. To dismiss these accounts as 'fake news' is a huge mistake — and they are ignoring the real problem. Multiple dead vacationers is about as serious as it gets."
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